Provincial Guidance Documents
- COVID-19 Guidance for Long-Term Care
- Guidance for mask use in long-term care and retirement homes
- COVID-19: Visiting Long-Term Care Homes
- Retirement Home COVID-19 Visiting Policy
- RHRA’s at a glance chart of restrictions (Updated April 1, 2021)
- Guide for visits, checklist, compassionate care visits (posters)
- Ministry of Long-Term Care: COVID-19 Long-Term Care Preparedness
All Ministry Guidance for the Health Sector
Ministry Directives
- Directive #3 for Long-Term Care Homes under the Long-Term Care Homes Act, 2007
- Directive #5 for Hospitals within the meaning of the Public Hospitals Act and Long-Term Care Homes within the meaning of the Long-Term Care Homes Act, 2007
- COVID-19 Directive #5: Questions and Answers
- Directive #1 for Health Care Providers and Health Care Entities
All Ministry Directives, Memorandums and Other Resources
Screening and Testing
- Minister’s Directive, COVID-19: Long-Term Care home surveillance testing and access to homes
- Updated FAQs - Enhancing Protection for Long-Term Care Home
- Fact Sheet - Surveillance Testing in Long-Term Care Homes
- COVID-19 Guidance: Considerations for Rapid Antigen Screening - Updated March 19, 2021
- Staff, Student and Volunteer COVID-19 Testing in LongTerm Care Homes FAQs
- COVID-19 Surveillance Testing – Guidance Regarding Retirement Homes Staff and Resident Testing
- COVID-19 Screening Tool for Long-Term Care Homes and Retirement Homes
- COVID-19 Provincial Testing Guidance Update
- COVID-19 Testing and Clearance Quick Reference Guidance
- COVID-19 reference document for symptoms
- COVID-19 Test requisition
- COVID-19 Requisition completion instructions
- Ontario Government’s online COVID Test Results Viewer
- COVID-19 self-assessment
Infection Prevention and Control (IPAC)
Prevention and Management of COVID-19
- COVID-19: Infection Prevention and Control Checklist for Long-Term Care and Retirement Homes
- PIDAC - Interim Guidance for Infection Prevention and Control of SARS-CoV-2 Variants of Concern for Health Care Settings (February 10)
- Public Health Ontario - Infection Prevention and Control for Long-Term Care Homes: Summary of Key Principles and Best Practices (December 2020)
- Public Health Ontario Webinar: Preparing for and Managing COVID-19 Outbreaks in Long-Term Care and Retirement Homes (Slides and Recording)
- Public Health Ontario – Prevention and Management of COVID-19 in Long-Term Care and Retirement Homes – Summary of important resources and information
- WDGPH COVID-19 Resident Cohorting Resource for Long-Term Care and Retirement Homes
- Public Health Ontario Cohorting During an Outbreak of COVID-19 in Long-Term Care Homes
- Public Health Ontario - Examples for Resident Cohorting in Long-Term Care Homes (Infographic)
- WDGPH Outbreak Checklist for LTCH/RH
- Public Health Ontario – De-escalation of COVID-19 outbreak control measures in Long-Term Care and Retirement Homes
- Public Health Ontario IPAC and outbreak management webinar for long-term care and retirement homes (slides and recording)
- COVID-19 Guidelines for Communal Dining (Updated November 13, 2020)
- Ontario Health West: Infection Prevention and Control (IPAC) Toolkit (by Setting)
- COVID-19 Tabletop Exercise Tip Sheet Guelph and Wellington, Tip Sheet Dufferin and Slides
General IPAC:
- Infection prevention and control fundamentals – provides links to key resources
- Routine Practices and Additional Precautions in all health care settings (PIDAC)
- Public Health Ontario Webinar: IPAC Extenders
- How to clean your hands with soap and water or alcohol-based hand rub
- Physical distancing guidelines at work
- COVID-19 Physical distancing
- How to self-isolate while working
- WDGPH COVID-19 Toolkit For IPAC Site Visits in Long-Term Care Homes & Retirement Homes [Updated: July 20, 2020]
- How to physically distance in long-term care
- Selection and Placement of ABHR during COVID-19 in Long-Term Care and Retirement Homes
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE):
- How to put on and take off PPE videos
- Putting on and taking off PPE handout
- WDGPH How to wear a surgical mask
- WDGPH Tips for Removing a Surgical Mask During Breaks
- Universal mask use in health care settings and retirement homes
- COVID-19 Droplet and Contact Precautions
- IPAC Recommendations on PPE use for care of individuals with suspect or confirmed COVID-19
- Ontario Health recommendations on PPE use during COVID-19
- Ontario Health recommendations on PPE optimization during COVID-19
- PPE Burn rate calculator
- Public Health Ontario COVID-19 webinar on PPE use and cohorting in Long-Term Care and Retirement Homes (slides and recording)
- WDGPH Conservation and disposal of PPE for Long-Term Care and Retirement Homes during the COVID-19 pandemic
Environmental cleaning and disinfection:
- WDGPH COVID-19 Guidance: Checklist for Cleaning and Disinfection in Congregate Settings
- PIDAC - Best Practices for Environmental Cleaning for Prevention and Control of Infections in all health care settings
- Key Elements of Environmental Cleaning in Healthcare Settings
- Public Health Ontario – COVID-19: Cleaning and disinfection for public settings
- Health Canada – COVID-19 Hard surface disinfectants and hand sanitizers
- Public Health Ontario COVID-19 webinar on environmental cleaning for environmental service workers/housekeepers (slides and recording)
Signage
- WDGPH COVID-19 Outbreak Declared Poster
- Long-term care home visitor sign - English
- Long-term care home visitor sign - French
- Putting on PPE IPAC Poster
- Removing PPE IPAC Poster
- Handwashing with soap and water Poster
- Additional precautions signage from Public Health Ontario
WDGPH Questions from the Field
WDGPH Recent Memos and Updates
- Guidance for Eye Protection – Long-Term Care, Retirement Homes, and other Congregate Settings – July 16, 2021
- Memo – Testing for Influenza, COVID-19 and Other Respiratory Viruses in Long-Term Care and Retirement Homes – October 20, 2020
- Advisory - COVID-19 testing, clearance and isolation requirements for resident admissions to long-term care and retirement homes – October 5, 2020
- Update – New Swab Ordering Process - September 10, 2020
COVID-19 Vaccine Information
- Dr. Mercer Presentation for LTCH/RH – All About the COVID-19 Vaccine (Dec 22, 2020)
- COVID-19 Vaccine Information for Healthcare Providers
Additional Resources
- Control of Respiratory Outbreaks in Long-Term Care Homes, 2018
- Health and Safety Guidance during COVID-19 for Long-Term Care
- Mental health supports for healthcare workers and first responders
- Ontario Health Workforce Matching Portal
- WDGPH Physician Advisories during COVID-19
- Managing resident deaths in Long-Term Care during COVID-19 outbreak:
Webinar slides | One-Pager | Q&A - How to Protect Yourself from COVID-19 - Older Adults and People with Chronic Medical Conditions or Weakened Immune Systems